Almost Like Love(21)

“You also have to answer to your viewers. Life with Max received more fan mail than any other children’s program on the network.”

“I’m not saying the fans aren’t loyal. You did two great seasons, and in this age of DVDs and video streaming, those shows will always be available to anyone who wants to find them. But we can no longer justify investing in new episodes. The decision wasn’t personal, Kate. There’s no need to get defensive or—”

“You’re accusing me of being defensive? You’re the one who jumped down my throat when I talked to you about your nephew.”

He felt another flare of anger. “You’ve got no right to talk to me about Jacob. You don’t know anything about him or his situation or—”

“I know he’s unhappy. And I know you’re a big part of that.”

For just an instant, the fear that Kate might be right washed over him in a sickening wave. Then anger drowned out his insecurity. “I love Jacob. I want what’s best for him. And considering that I’m a successful executive and you’re an unemployed writer who couldn’t hang onto her fiancé, I think I know which of our opinions I have more confidence in.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could unsay them. Kate’s head jerked back as though he’d slapped her across the face, and in the instant before she shuttered all expression, he saw the hurt in her eyes.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to fix it. “I’m sorry, Kate. I shouldn’t have—”

“Get out of my way, Hart.”

She pushed past him and went towards the foyer, where she put on her shoes and grabbed her purse.

He followed her to his front door, feeling like the biggest asshole on the planet. “Please let me apologize.”

She turned with her hand on the knob, her expression as cold and contemptuous as it had ever been. “I feel sorry for your nephew—he deserves better than you. He’s the one you should apologize to.”

“Kate—”

“Save it. And in case there was any doubt, I won’t need your help to face my ex at the wedding from hell. I’d rather have one jerk to deal with than two.”

And then she was gone.





CHAPTER FOUR

Kate went to sleep pissed off and woke up pissed off. When she thought about her own stupidity—putting herself in a position that allowed Ian Hart to do more damage to her ego—she wasn’t sure which of them she was more angry with.

She shouldn’t feel hurt by what he’d said. He shouldn’t have the power to hurt her at all. If she hadn’t fallen for his chivalrous act at the club, last night’s scene wouldn’t have happened.

That’s what she got for letting her guard down . . . and for letting a man rescue her. A kick in the balls, metaphorically speaking.

It took two cups of coffee with Gallifrey purring on her lap before she started to feel better.

Then her cell phone rang.

When she saw it was Chris, she almost let it go to voice mail. But he was probably calling about his clothes, and the sooner she got the last remnants of him out of here, the better.

“Hi, Chris,” she said.

“Hi.”

A brilliant beginning.

There was a long pause. Finally she said impatiently, “Are you calling about your clothes? You can pick them up or I can send them to your apartment, whichever you’d—”

“That’s not it.”

Another silence. While she waited for him to break it, Kate tried to understand what she was feeling towards him.

Two nights ago, in front of the club, her heart had soared when she’d thought Chris was calling her. Now he actually was calling her, and she felt . . . what?

She wasn’t sure. There was a knot of emotion in her chest she couldn’t untangle—pain and sadness and bewilderment and anger.

Chris’s betrayal had cut like a knife, the hurt made worse by the fact that she hadn’t seen it coming. They’d been dating for eight months and engaged for two. They hadn’t moved in together, but she spent two or three nights a week at his place and he spent one or two at hers, and they’d had all the ease and familiarity of an intimacy that was as much about friendship as it was about romantic love.

Romantic love . . .

Was that what she and Chris had had?

If romantic love was about being comfortable with another person, then yes.

If it was about heat and chemistry and passion, then no.

Wait. What?

Their sex life might have been a little tame, but she and Chris must have had some chemistry. Right?

And then, unbidden, the memory of two nights ago swept through her body, leaving tingles and goose bumps in its wake.

No, no, no.